Success Stories from the Stuttgart Region

From zero to fifty in twelve years

The Luisa Cerano fashion label has conquered the global market in record time

09.04.2010 |

Nürtingen, a town in the southwest of the Stuttgart Region with 40,000 inhabitants, is producing very successful fashion that also sells superbly on an international level. The Hauber group, which is based in Nürtingen, launched the Luisa Cerano brand on the market a good ten years ago, marking the beginnings of an exceptional success story that demonstrates how good marketing and a feel for the right niche can send sales figures soaring.

The "master plan for Luisa Cerano came into being in the mid-1990s, when Walter Leuthe, the founder and owner of the brand, made the observation that in between established designer brands and the general offering there was very little high-quality yet affordable fashion available to meet the higher standards of a growing number of professional and style-conscious women. "That was our perfect opportunity to create a fashionable collection made from high-quality materials with an exclusive design, a good fit and at affordable prices", says Walter Leuthe.

The Luisa Cerano brand is an integral part of the Hauber group, which for four generations has been an essential player not only in the German clothing industry and has the relevant resources as well as the trade expertise needed to establish such a collection. Nowadays the brand is successfully managed by Walter Leuthe, the great-grandson of the company founder. Walter Leuthe, the head of the company, relies on perfect marketing. For example, Luisa Cerano has had an international gearing from the very beginning, from the design right through to the sales structure. Successful campaigns with renowned models like Nadja Auermann, Bar Refaeli and Julia Stegner have lent an international face to the brand. With its phenomenally fast growth, the fashion brand from Nürtingen has been setting standards in the ever-changing world of fashion for twelve years now. Its presence in 50 countries testifies to the brands popularity amongst customers all over the world, from New York to Kazakhstan and from London to Shanghai.

Women around the globe appreciate the sophisticated mix of nonchalant luxury, contemporary elegance and casual sportiness embodied by Luisa Cerano each season in its sought-after collections. Walter Leuthes concept is based on high-quality materials, most of which come from Italy, a good fit, perfect craftsmanship and an all-round service with the right shoes and accessories to match the outfits. At present there are 1,700 boutiques and fashion stores that stock the Luisa Cerano range, including 1,000 abroad.

Nowadays the high-quality collection is the mainstay of sales in the Hauber group, which also includes Hauber Internationale Mode GmbH and Sporlastic GmbH (which specializes in the field of medical and orthopaedic products). Design, development and logistics for the Hauber group are focused in Nürtingen. 250 employees work there, including 10 trainees, who are generally taken on as employees after completing their apprenticeship. Six collections are produced each season, and more than 2.5 million items pass through the logistics centre in Nürtingen each year.